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Smartphones as bad for teens' health as TV
As they turn to handheld digital devices for their entertainment, they are just as much at risk of being fat and having an unhealthy lifestyle as if they were plonked in front of the gogglebox.
Those aged 14 to 18 who spent more than five hours a day on screen devices were twice as likely to drink a sugary drink each day and not get enough sleep or physical exercise.
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Hide AdThey were more than two fifths - 43 per cent - more likely to be obese than their peers who did not spend time on these devices.
Research fellow Dr Erica Kenney and Professor Steven Gortmaker at Harvard University said time spent on the devices "saturates the waking hours of most American youth."
Yet many spend over six hours on them - well over the two-hour limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr Kenney said: "The types of screens that youthS use have changed rapidly.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"Smartphone use now makes up the majority of screen engagement among teens, and most youth, even younger children, have their own device; a recent study found over one-half of three year olds had been given their own tablet."
She added excessive TV watching was linked with heightened risk of childhood obesity, a higher intake of total energy, as well as sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), fast food, sweets, and salty snacks.
It was also linked with "shorter and poorer quality sleep,which is itself associated with excess energy intake and weight gain."
She said: "Less is known about the health impacts of other screen devices, including computers, videogames, and newer media devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"Existing evidence suggests associations between smartphone and tablet use and inadequate sleep, and food and beverage advertising is highly prevalent among social media and other websites directed toward children and youth.
"Given the pervasiveness of TV and other screen devices in the lives of American youth, and given that the majority of adolescents' total screen time is now spent engaging with smartphones - about 2.75 hours per day, on average - it is important to understand how evolving screen devices impact health."
The study followed 24,800 teenagers in the 2013 and 2015 waves of the Youth Risk Behaviour Surveillance System.
Data included hours spent on screen devices and watching television, hours of sleep on an average school night, number of SSBs consumed in the previous seven days, and frequency of physical activity (at least 60 minutes per day) for the past seven days.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt found a fifth of teenagers spent more than five hours a day on the devices with less than a tenth - eight per cent - watching more than five hours of television.
Over a quarter of boys and nearly a fifth of girls drank at least one SSB a day and approximately two-thirds of boys and three quarters of girls did not get any daily physical activity.
More than two-thirds got less than eight hours of sleep each night and overall an eighth - 13.6 per cent - were obese.
Dr Kenney said: "TV viewing was associated with daily intake of SSBs and obesity among both boys and girls, and with physical inactivity among girls, but, interestingly, TV viewing was actually associated with lower risk of physical inactivity among boys, and possibly lower risk of inadequate sleep.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"In contrast, higher use of other screen devices, including computers, videogames, smartphones, and tablets, was significantly associated with all obesity risk factors studied for both boys and girls, including SSB intake, sleep, and physical inactivity.
"The use of other screen devices is linked with several aspects of adolescent health and well-being, and TV time is more narrowly linked with diet and obesity.
"This study would suggest that limiting children's and adolescents' engagement with other screen devices may be as important for health as limiting television time."
The study was published in The Journal of Paediatrics.


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The Life Sciences Report: Congratulations on being elected chairman of the board of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio). After almost three decades, it's the nation's oldest biotech trade organization. That really speaks to the respect that your peers have for you. Could you tell me a bit about MassBio? What is it about?
Geoff MacKay: MassBio is a not-for-profit organization representing the Massachusetts biotech industry. There are about 700 members, all in the life sciences industry. About 400 members are biotech companies, and the remaining are agencies and companies that support the industry, such as contract manufacturing organizations. MassBio is committed to advancing the development of new, critical science and technology.
MassBio is important not just to the industry, but also to the economy of Massachusetts, where employment in the life sciences has risen 50% during the last decade. As we know, these have been very tough economic times, and yet the life sciences in Massachusetts have continued to prosper, driving the state's economy while developing important lifesaving medicines.
TLSR: Is the life sciences industry larger in Massachusetts than it is in California?
GM: Yes, significantly larger per capita. Massachusetts is the premier hub in the world. One measure is just the number of companies in the state. In addition, the top five hospitals in the country receiving National Institutes of Health funding are here. What makes the cluster special in Massachusetts is the confluence of top academic institutions and hospitals with a proliferation of private companies. There's also a prolific, strong and committed venture capital community supporting the life sciences.
TLSR: You are also chairman of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), and will speak at the RegenMed Investor Day, hosted by ARM, on April 17 in New York City. This is a more specific area of biotechnology. Could you tell me just briefly about ARM?
GM: ARM is an advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the new field of regenerative medicine. It is more than an industry groupARM represents and supports a whole cluster of biotech and regenerative medicine companies, as well as academic research institutions, patient advocacy groups, foundations and translational research centers. Other types of organizations, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, are members. When ARM stands before Congress or federal agenciesor even the general publicit truly is the representative of the regenerative medicine industry.
TLSR: Regenerative medicine does need special advocacy because its models are so different from traditional biotech. How old is ARM?
GM: It's only four years old. It was founded in 2009, and it already has more than 140 members. In this very short time it has become a true representation of the field, which is remarkable.
TLSR: There's a glaring valuation gap in the regenerative medicine industry. With the exception of Australian company Mesoblast Ltd. (MSB:ASE; MBLTY:OTCPK), with its $1.65 billion ($1.65B) market cap, publicly traded cell technology companies have really remained in the microcap depths. Some are even penny stocks. I don't see pharma supporting regenerative medicine, and I blame the low valuations. We even saw a phase 3 program in critical limb ischemia get shut down recently for lack of funding and implicit inability to partner. Tell me what you think pharma's problem is with regenerative medicine, and with cell therapies in general.
GM: I take a more optimistic view of the industry. I think current valuations reflect a point in time for the industry. The industry is young and investors reward later-stage opportunities. Actually, the fact that there are companies such as Mesoblast, where valuations are reaching very impressive precommercialization levels, is a dynamic that bodes well for the future.
"The fact that there are companies where valuations are reaching very impressive precommercialization levels is a dynamic that bodes well for the future."
In addition to public valuations, another way to look at the industry is through the lens of what's been happening on the private side. In the last 1218 months, there have been deals involving major private companies, such as Healthpoint Ltd. (acquired by Smith & Nephew [SNN:NYSE]) and Advanced BioHealing Inc. (acquired by Shire Plc [SHPGY:NASDAQ; SHP:LSE]), in which device and pharmaceutical companies have made sizable investments (of $1.5B collectively) in acquiring cell therapy companiesand not just acquiring them for high-dollar values, but in multiples that were competitive by any measure of pharma or device valuation.
I'm not trying to overplay where the industry is. It is still young, and it is still emerging. Very few companies are coming out of phase 3 and into the realm of being valued based on revenue and profit. But there is reason to be confident.
You said pharma wasn't supporting regenerative medicine. It wasn't long ago that pharma was taking a watch-and-wait mentality. The pharma companies were sending midlevel business development and licensing people to regenerative medicine meetings to assess the assets. Eventually that translated into investments. Today, companies such as Johnson & Johnson (JNJ:NYSE), Shire, Pfizer Inc. (PFE:NYSE), Roche Holding AG (RHHBY:OTCQX), Smith & Nephew, GE Healthcare unit of General Electric [GE:NYSE]), Sanofi SA (SNY:NYSE) with its Genzyme unit and Astellas Pharma Inc. (ALPMF:OTCPK) have all made notable, tangible investments in the field.
We are at the beginning. It is not a free-for-all, but there are trends toward an increased number of pharma companies that are committed. We are also seeing an increased number of phase 2 trials that will eventually translate into phase 3 trials.
As for your comment about a critical limb ischemia program being terminated, I see that as normala phenomenon seen every day in drug, device and biologic development. There will be winners and losers in this field. I suspect the attrition rates of clinical trials in regenerative medicine are comparable to those in biologics, devices and drugs. A minority of cell therapies ultimately reach the patient, but that's the same risk profile we see in other areas of the life sciences.
With all the clinical activity and early investment by a critical mass of pharma, we have the beginnings of an industry that's transforming itself. The winners, such as Mesoblast, which has a higher valuation point, are signs of a growing confidence in the industry.
TLSR: Geoff, Mesoblast is one of about 19 companies on my personal list of publicly traded cell technology companies. I think of it as an outlier. I'm thinking of other, much smaller companies that have comparable technologies and are in the $200 million ($200M) market cap range. The cell technology industry is probably more than 20 years old now. I'm thinking that Amgen Inc. (AMGN:NASDAQ), as a pioneer in biologics, had a much higher valuation than $200M by the time it was 20 years into its life as a public company. Biologics took off faster, and I believe the cell technology industry really is lagging from the point in time at which it began.
GM: People do like to draw the analogy, comparing the cell therapy industry to monoclonal antibodies. We look at what happened to Genentech (now a unit of Roche Holding AG) and Amgen. Directionally, they represent a very good analog, but the challenges of developing cell therapies between the 1990s and now have been more challenging and difficult.
The antibody analogy becomes very relevant when we look at the cell therapy industry and see a critical mass of clinical trials in phases 1 and 2, and even a few in phase 3, in very relevant clinical disease indications. Those therapies will not only change healthcare, but also will lead to commercial success.
"With all the clinical activity and early investment by a critical mass of pharma, we have the beginnings of an industry that's transforming itself."
The challenges that faced the industry in the 1990s led to false starts and delays. Manufacturing, procuring reimbursement codes and distribution logistics for living cell technologies all required unique approaches that were not well addressed in the early years. But now we have enough confidence to think a sizable portion of therapies will go on to commercial success. There are clinical trials in orthopedics, cardiology, soft tissue applications, and ocular, oncology and diabetes indications going on currently, and it's pretty clear that the technologies are in the process of changing the practice of medicine. With that comes the commercial success.
TLSR: Where is investment going today in the field of regenerative medicine?
GM: George Daley has made some insightful comments. He is director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Children's Hospital Boston, and he's a founding member of the executive committee of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, as well as past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. He is one of the top opinion leaders in the field of stem cell research. When I heard him speak at the World Stem Cell Summit last December, he was doing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of the field. He tried to address the trends from a biologically pragmatic point of view, and name therapeutic areas that should lead to successful product generation. Daley was saying, "Let's look at what is being researched and what will really change medical practice, at least in the midterm."
The first of the three therapeutic areas that Daley identified is the retinal application. A number of companies are doing very exciting work in treating blindness and different ophthalmology applications. This is an immunoprivileged area (an area that is less prone to immune reactions), and regenerative medicine can do very well in the space. The second area is spinal cord injurya huge unmet medical need where a lot of good, solid research is being applied. The third area is dopaminergic neurons, another central nervous system application.
TLSR: Your firm, Organogenesis Inc., has had a lot of success with allogeneic (from the same species) materials. Given the obvious advantages of allogeneic cost of goods sold, do you see this industry migrating in that direction, away from autologous (using the patient's own cells or tissues) technologies?
GM: I do not. The simple way to view the science is to say that if an allogeneic therapy can work in lieu of an autologous therapy, it absolutely should be used, for the reason that you've specified. An allogeneic product can be mass-produced, industrialized and delivered to a clinic at a price point that is comparable to other healthcare modalities, and that is significantly more convenient than autologous therapies. The business model is understood and already integrated into medical practice. For every reason that you can imagine, if an allogeneic product can work, that's the route to go.
"It's pretty clear that the technologies are in the process of changing the practice of medicine. With that comes the commercial success."
But we know, primarily for immunological reasons, that there are a number of therapeutic applications for which an allogeneic approach may not lend itself. For those indications, an autologous approach would be necessary.
The one caution I would make about autologous technology is that the unmet need must be rather dramatic, simply because the cost will be higher and the convenience will be less. Unmet medical need and the willingness of payers to pay must be well understood prior to embarking on this technology.
TLSR: You've commented about immunogenicity being a potential problem with allogeneic therapies. You named retinal applications as being a wonderful ground for using allogeneic cells because it's a contained system and not exposed to the immune system. You could say the same about the spinal cord, as well as the brain, where clinical trials are being conducted in stem cell therapies for lysosomal storage disorders. Doesn't the problem of immunogenicity or immunotoxicity really behoove us to continue studies in embryonically derived stem cells, where we have a better chance of having an immunoprivileged donor cell?
GM: Yes, I think it behooves us to continue the research. The whole topic of immunomodulation is important for the field of regenerative medicine. The story has yet to be unraveled and truly quantified as to the immunomodulatory effects of a mesenchymal stem cell, and of an embryonic stem cell. Can certain differentiated cells that are less immunogenic play a role? How important is the persistence of these cells to delivering a therapeutic benefit? That is fundamental and needs to be resolved in the field.
What's interesting is that there are a number of strategies that can be employed to address the topic of immunology, ranging from going to an autologous model to trying to deliver the right cells in the right concentrations, thereby providing some type of dampening of the immune system. It is an important topic, and there's a lot that needs to be learned.
TLSR: Geoff, it's been a great pleasure, and I thank you for taking the time with us.
GM: Likewise. Thank you very much.
Geoff MacKay has served in his current leadership role at Organogenesis Inc. since December 2003. MacKay served in various leadership positions at Novartis AG, including vice president and business unit head of transplantation and immunology at Novartis Canada, vice president of tissue engineering in Novartis USA, head of global sales in immunology and transplantation based in Basel, Switzerland, and sales and marketing manager of Novartis Biotech Europe. MacKay has been involved in the emerging field of regenerative medicine for the last decade. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors for the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, and as chair of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
Want to read more Life Sciences Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page.
1) George S. Mack conducted this interview for The Life Sciences Report and provides services to The Life Sciences Report as an independent contractor. He or his family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in the interview are sponsors of The Life Sciences Report: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services or as sponsorship payment. Johnson & Johnson is not affiliated with Streetwise Reports.
3) Geoff Mackay: I or my family own shares of the following companies mentioned in this interview: Organogenesis Inc. I personally or my family am paid by the following companies mentioned in this interview: Organogenesis Inc. My company has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this interview: Organogenesis Inc. I was not paid by Streetwise Reports for participating in this interview. Comments and opinions expressed are my own comments and opinions. I had the opportunity to review the interview for accuracy as of the date of the interview and am responsible for the content of the interview.
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6) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned and may make purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise.

subset: commoncrawl


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REPORT ON FATAL MODESTO EVICTION SHOOTING DELAYED: MODESTO (AP) — An independent report into the fatal shootings of a Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputy and a locksmith while serving an eviction notice has been delayed.
Sheriff Adam Christianson said Thursday a team of outside investigators need more time before publicly unveiling their findings.
He said the report could be completed by February.
Christianson says federal criminologists working separately from the independent probe also have not yet determined how a fire started following a tense 11-hour standoff with the shooter.
Deputy Bob Paris and locksmith Glendon Engert were shot and killed on April 12 after going to the Modesto home of James Ferrario to evict him five days after a notice was posted.
Authorties say Ferrario eventually set the building on fire and shot himself.


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On Friday, March 1st, 2013, inaugural reCYCLE pARTS opening will take place at the Raymond James Stutz Art Gallery featuring 19 local artists. The event coincides with 1st Friday art events around the city and is the first of its kind in Indiana. Artists were given the creative license to construct art pieces out of recycled bike parts donated by our sponsor ZIPP and non-profit organization Freewheelin' Community Bikes. Artists had 2 months to create and submit their pieces to a jury of sponsors and event partners for selection. The selected pieces will be displayed and for sale at the show opening with 30% of sales donated to charity.
"Our mission at Sun King is 'Improving the lives of Hoosiers one pint at a time' and this event exemplifies that goal. Helping put this one of a kind event together has allowed us to engage so many organizations and people in central Indiana and we're excited to share it with everyone!" – Clay Robinson, Owner/Brewer
About Sun King Brewing Company
Sun King Brewing Company is the brainchild of Dave Colt and Clay Robinson. With the help of family and friends— Omar Robinson, Andy Fagg and Steve Koers—the first keg of Sun King beer rolled out the door for delivery in July 2009. Now available on tap and in cans at hundreds of locations around central Indiana, Sun King has grown into the second-largest beer brewer in the state of Indiana. The company's commitment to handcrafted seasonal and specialty beers has been rewarded with multiple medals at the Indiana Brewers Cup, Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup competitions. Visit www.sunkingbrewing.com for more information.
About Freewheelin' Community Bikes
Freewheelin' is a 501(c)3 youth development organization that uses bicycles in many ways to capture kids' interest, engage them in activities that teach them life skills, good health habits and leadership. The heart of the program and most often the entry point is our Earn-a-Bike program in which youth who are between the ages of 10 and 18 come in and work with a teaching mentor to learn basic bike mechanic skills, along with life skills such as delayed gratification, perseverance, problem-solving, focus and accountability. When they finish the program, they have earned their own bike (which they have chosen from our collection of donated bikes and fixed up), a lock, a helmet and the right to progress into a leadership role. Visit www.freewheelinbikes.org for more information.
About INDYCOG
INDYCOG began as a blog in February 2009 with the goal of celebrating and promoting cycling in Indianapolis and providing a common ground for all types of cyclists to gather. In February of 2010, they began to position their organization as Indy's only bicycle education and advocacy group. In November of that year, INDYCOG acquired a 501c3 non-profit status.

Mission statement: "We believe that the stronger our community, the more apparent our message and our needs as cyclists become, the more likely our needs will be met by our city." Visit www.theindycog.com for more information.
About World Bike Relief
World Bicycle Relief was founded in 2005 by F.K. Day and Leah Missbach Day in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. World Bicycle Relief partnered with aid organizations on the ground in Sri Lanka to distribute over 24,000 bicycles to aid the rebuilding of lives by providing access to education and healthcare and reconnecting workers to their livelihood.
Today, World Bicycle Relief is working across transforming individuals and their communities through The Power of Bicycles. World Bicycle Relief Buffalo Bicycles are granted through work-to-own or study-to-own programs or purchased by non government organiztions, corporations or individuals in need of reliable transportation in order to reach clean water, education, healthcare, markets and jobs. To date, World Bicycle Relief has provided over 120,000 bicycles and trained over 200 field mechanics. Visit www.worldbikerelief.org for more information.
About ZIPP
Zipp Speed Weaponry serves a select group of elite companies and athletes, globally located and committed to bicycle and wheelchair competition. Zipp meets customer's needs for the highest performance, superlative quality components through innovative design and manufacturing utilizing the best material and technology available. Zipp's company is built on mutual respect, delivery on promise and fastidious attention to manufacturing details. They do this by providing exceptional customer service and aggressive marketing, supporting distribution through dedicated dealers, distributors, OE's and direct sales. Market share growth is achieved through continuous product and process improvement, adding new products, additional categories and expanding the distribution channels. Visit www.zipp.com for more information.
About Stutz Arts Association
The Stutz Arts Association is a non-profit, volunteer organization of over 80 artists with studios in the historic Stutz Building in Indianapolis, IN. The organization sponsors 2 Resident Artist studios every year, supports the Raymond James Stutz Art Gallery, hosts the Annual Stutz Open House, and much more! In the Fall of 2012, the Raymond James Stutz Gallery expanded from 900 fee to 1,500, adding a room with natural light and nearly doubling in exhibition space. Visit http://stutzartists.com


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Conakry, Guinea/New York, February 10, 2014—Medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has launched a campaign to vaccinate close to 400,000 children in Conakry, Guinea, against measles in the next three weeks. To date, there are 1,105 suspected cases, with 68 confirmed cases in the region, causing fear of a rapid explosion in the number of infections.
"Measles is one of the most highly contagious diseases, and it can spread like wildfire," said Corinne Benazech, MSF's Head of Mission in Conakry. "It affects primarily children, and can involve severe medical complications so it is critical that action be taken in order to avoid the catastrophe that occurred in 2009, when ten children lost their lives."
Working in co-operation with the Ministry of Health, MSF has deployed 32 teams throughout the Matam, Matoto and Ratoma neighbourhoods of Conakry. The Guinean government announced that its measles vaccine supply will be exhausted by February 15. It has asked for MSF support in organizing the emergency vaccination campaign in the three communities where an epidemic was declared last month.
Placed strategically close to the people who need it—in areas such as community centers, private homes and public spaces—the MSF teams expect to vaccinate 394,000 children, ages six months to ten years. A team of 400 people from MSF and the Ministry of Health will provide the vaccine at no charge.
MSF estimates that during this epidemic some fifty children infected with measles will be at risk of developing serious, and potentially fatal, complications, so it will be supporting targeted health structures, primarily by providing medical treatment to children infected with measles.
"Measles and its complications can be fatal, so it is critical that we vaccinate all children in order to protect them, now and for several decades to come," said Gemma Dominguez, MSF Medical Coordinator in Conakry.
Measles can be avoided with a safe and effective vaccine which, when it is part of a routine vaccination program, is given to all children, starting from the age of nine months. But overall, just 37 percent of the country's children have received both the vaccine doses that are needed to provide them with full protection. Even in Conakry, the vaccination coverage remains insufficient, because just 80 percent of the population has been vaccinated.
As part of its campaign, MSF will be able to provide no-charge diagnosis of those children that are sick, so that they can be treated. Follow-up in cases involving complications will also be provided at no charge.
"Children showing symptoms that begin with a high fever need to be seen by a physician," explained Dr Daloka Delamou, Medical Coordinator with MSF. "This can save their lives."
MSF has been working in Guinea for the past 25 years. In addition to its regular projects involving the provision of treatment to people living with HIV, it provides regular support to the government of Guinea in response to emergencies and epidemics.


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Happy Birthday, Ken Burns!
Ken Burns turned 60 on Monday. Tonight, let's look back at some of his best documentary work. If you like it, a lot of his stuff is available on Netflix and other streaming services -- and it's generally many hours long! Happy birthday, Ken, and keep it up.
The Civil War: The Gettysburg Address
For even more context on Lincoln's remarks, see my post on "Death and the Civil War" by Ric Burns (Ken's brother).
Watch The Civil War: The Gettysburg Address on PBS. See more from The Civil War.
Prohibition: A Nation of Drunkards
The introduction to Prohibition. "They drink because it's hot, they drink because it's cold." Sounds about right.
Watch Roots of PROHIBITION A Nation of Drunkards on PBS. See more from Prohibition.
The Brooklyn Bridge: How Burns Made It
The Brooklyn Bridge was the first big Ken Burns documentary as we know it. It's great. Seriously. The story of the bridge is absolutely insane -- filled with death, intrigue, and complexity.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Meryle Secrest on Wright
Just a little Burns-y clip from the FLW documentary. "He had a...a deviant view of the way a creative artist should live."
Watch Wright Never Saw Any Limits on PBS. See more from Frank Lloyd Wright.
Central Park Five: Overview
If you haven't seen Central Park Five, you need to. Here's Burns introducing the film.
Watch Central Park Five Overview on PBS. See more from Central Park Five.


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Watts Regulator Company, North Andover, MA, has posted its new product videos on the popular video sharing web site, YouTube.
"Watts is always looking for new ways to reach both new and existing customers and with YouTube's growing popularity it presents a great opportunity to get our message out" says Greg Gyorda, Watts' marketing communications manager.
The flow control company says it plans to expand the number of videos available on YouTube in near future.
To view Watts' YouTube page, go to www.youtube.com/profile?user=WattsWater.


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SAYER, JOHN (also written Sayers and Sayre, but he signed Sayer), fur trader; b. c. 1750; d. 2 Oct. 1818 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Lower Canada.
John Sayer first appeared in the fur trade in the late 1770s when he became active in the Fond du Lac district south and west of Lake Superior. He was apparently one of the earliest traders working out of Michilimackinac (Mackinaw City, Mich.) to winter at Lac de la Sangsue (Leech Lake, Minn.). In 1780 Sayer was the Michilimackinac agent for Montreal merchant Joseph Howard* and was granted a licence to send up one canoe to Michilimackinac. That year, upon returning to Lac de la Sangsue for the winter, he found that most of the Ojibwas with whom he had formerly traded had died of smallpox. During the same year he joined with other Michilimackinac merchants in protesting the interference of government officials in the fur trade.
By 1784, following the American revolution, the number of traders around Michilimackinac had grown so alarmingly that Sayer and other merchants formed a committee to regulate the market. The next year, perhaps in response to the recent emergence of the North West Company, Sayer entered an agreement organizing the General Company of Lake Superior and the South (also known as the General Society) [see Étienne-Charles Campion*]. Because of his previous experience he was appointed to direct the company's operations in the region south and west of Lake Superior. The pressure of competition and an unpredictable market in the late 1780s, probably combined with the failure of the General Company by 1788, induced Sayer to engage in successive one-year trading alliances with Jean-Baptiste Perrault*, Jean-Baptiste Cadot, and others. In 1789 and 1790 Sayer wintered on the Fond du Lac River (St Louis River, Minn.) under these agreements.
About 1791, apparently having dissolved his long affiliation with Howard, Sayer formed John Sayer and Company and became an agent of the NWC at Sault Ste Marie (Mich.). Two years later he engaged Perrault to build Fort St Louis (Superior, Wis.), the NWC's Fond du Lac district headquarters, and on 12 Sept. 1793 arrived there with his native family to take charge. From then until the summer of 1805 he travelled widely in the region under his command, wintering at Lac de la Sangsue, White Oak Point (near Deer River, Minn.), Upper Red Cedar Lake (Cass Lake, Minn.), Pembina (N.Dak.), and on two tributaries of the St Croix River, the Yellow (Wis.) and Snake (Mine.) rivers. In late April 1798 David Thompson* described him as "poor in flesh" from his winter's subsistence on wild rice and maple sugar at Upper Red Cedar Lake. Sayer's summers were customarily divided between the annual rendezvous, held until 1802 at Grand Portage (near Grand Portage, Minn.) and subsequently at Kaministiquia (Thunder Bay, Ont.), and business at his district headquarters. His chief competitors were the Hudson's Bay Company, which had a post at Pembina, and the New North West Company (sometimes called the XY Company).
John Sayer and Company seems to have been dissolved about 1797, and the following year Sayer was listed as a partner in the NWC. On 5 July 1802 he signed an agreement which extended the coalition of partners and gave him two shares. Following the merger of the New North West Company with the NWC in 1805, Sayer signed a document expanding the NWC from 92 to 100 shares, and apparently that year he took his allotted "rotation," or furlough, to Lower Canada, where he traded for the NWC at the Lac des Chats post (near Quyon) on the Ottawa River. In 1807, having been charged by Duncan McGillivray with "former irregularities," he was forced to retire from active partnership. The following year Sayer acquired a farm of some 1,000 acres in Onslow Township on Lac des Chats in exchange for one of his company shares. In 1809 he sold this estate to Duncan Cameron* and became a resident of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, selling his second NWC share in 1810 to McTavish, McGillivrays and Company. Though subsequently elected to the Beaver Club, Sayer appears not to have attended any meetings.
With his native wife Obemau-unoqua (possibly known as Nancy) Sayer had at least three sons, Pierre-Guillaume*, John Charles, and Henry. The members of his immediate family whom he listed in his will, however, were his wife Elizabeth McPherson and his natural children Margaret, Henry (who may have been Obemau-unoqua's son), and James.
ANQ-M, CM1, John Sayer, 15 June 1819; CN1-185, 27 June 1810. Minn. Hist. Soc. (St Paul), D. A. Birk, "John Sayer and Fond du Lac fur trade: the history, ecology and archeology of an 1804–1805 North West Company wintering post site (21-PN-11) and its relation to the fur trade in the western Lake Superior region" (1974); Morrison (Allan) papers, Allan Morrison, "History of the fur trade." PAC, MG 19, C1, 12; 17. [This item consists of a journal and some accounts, now identified as Sayer's by the PAC, although the journal has been erroneously attributed to Thomas Connor in Five fur traders of the northwest . . . , ed. C. M. Gates ([Minneapolis, Minn.], 1933; [2nd ed.], St Paul, 1965). d.a.b.] Les bourgeois de la Compagnie du Nord-Ouest (Masson), 1: 395. Docs. relating to NWC (Wallace), 109–10, 207, 247–48, 497. Mackenzie, Journals and letters (Lamb), 480, 484. Mich. Pioneer Coll., 10 (1886): 421; 37 (1909–10): 426, 536–37, 537n., 555–57, 568–69, 575. New light on early hist. of greater north-west (Coues), 1: 225n.; 2: 1011. [David Thompson], David Thompson's narrative, 1784–1812, ed. R. [G.] Glover (new ed., Toronto, 1962), 203–5. Wis., State Hist. Soc., Coll., 19 (1910): 173–74, 181, 238. W. E. Stevens, "The northwest fur trade, 1763–1800," Univ. of Ill. Studies in the Social Sciences (Urbana), 14 (1926), no.3: 135–37.
© 1983–2024 University of Toronto/Université Laval
Cite This Article
Douglas A. Birk, "SAYER, JOHN," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed February 26, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/sayer_john_5E.html.
The citation above shows the format for footnotes and endnotes according to the Chicago manual of style (16th edition). Information to be used in other citation formats:
Permalink: | http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/sayer_john_5E.html |
Author of Article: | Douglas A. Birk |
Title of Article: | SAYER, JOHN |
Publication Name: | Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5 |
Publisher: | University of Toronto/Université Laval |
Year of publication: | 1983 |
Year of revision: | 1983 |
Access Date: | February 26, 2024 |


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In case you were curious, cole slaw is not named for any fella named Cole. The term comes from the Dutch word "koolsla," a shortening of "koolsalade," which means "cabbage salad." In case you were curious.
This post is about my tragic lack of cole slaw, which would so enhance this already-glorious chicken barbecue. I resisted slaw for many years, and even now I really only enjoy it on a barbecue sandwich. I'm extremely picky about it (surprise, surprise) and that's why you don't see any included on this particular sandwich.
The very best slaw I ever put between my lips comes from the deli in my hometown grocery store. I can't even pinpoint what makes it so marvelous, but I do know that so far, no homemade or store-bought version that I've tried can compare.
If you have a killer cole slaw recipe (minimal mayonnaise, please)(ick), feel free to share! Chicken barbecue is good (especially when the barbecue sauce is sweet and spicy)(I used a honey-chipotle blend), but with the proper cole slaw, it becomes phenomenal.
P.S. Happy birthday, big brother!
September 29, 2008
who is this cole character?
YumLabels: poultry
52 comments:
- Albany Jane said...
I always had to tell myself that there was no mayo in those oh-so-creamy slaws. I still can't bear to make it with mayo at home, so I opt for mayo-free tangy slaws instead.
- September 29, 2008 at 8:23 AM
- Robin said...
Love Cole on my BBQ. I make a pretty good one on my site, but is does call for Mayo, sorry. Thanks for the info on the word slaw. I guess I really never thought about it but it does make sense!
- September 29, 2008 at 8:29 AM
- Anonymous said...
Mmm yes coleslaw (or potato salad, who am I kidding, I love both) with BBQ chicken is gorgeous. I remember years ago I had a hot dog with coleslaw on it and it was the best hot dog I've ever eaten so if I eat them at home, I always include coleslaw. Go slaw! :P
- September 29, 2008 at 8:32 AM
- Prudy said...
I love the combo of BBQ sloppy juicy meat and slaw. Mine has mayo, but I often swap out for yogurt.
- September 29, 2008 at 8:39 AM
- Lisa said...
Sounds interesting! Due to my mayo aversion I am no cole slaw expert but I do kind of like the tangy kind. That kind might be good on your chicken bbq, though I'd be inclined to eat it as is, with a little extra of that yummy sounding barbecue sauce.
- September 29, 2008 at 8:43 AM
- Anonymous said...
the creamy slaw well drained from Hannaford is about as close to NC style in the area...my husband a NC native loves it on his bbq pork or bbq chicken sandwiches...it's double chopped, and I always ask them to drain it well when ordering...and then drain it again prior to putting on a sandwich.
- September 29, 2008 at 8:56 AM
- Alicia Foodycat said...
See THAT is what I wanted when I ordered pulled pork on Friday! I wanted it rich and succulent like your chicken.
Best coleslaw I've had comes from a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca - it's got a good whack of chipotle in it and it is smoky and spicy and not too creamy. - September 29, 2008 at 9:02 AM
- RecipeGirl said...
You should ask them for the recipe! They just might give it to you.
My fave slaw is a nontraditional type: Blue Cheese Cole Slaw. Love it. - September 29, 2008 at 9:22 AM
- Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...
I love coleslaw any which way...but I'll bet this particular slaw would be fantastic topping a chicken burger..at least that is what I envision!!!!!!
- September 29, 2008 at 9:27 AM
- Sandy said...
we had sloppy joes for dinner last night - should have made slaw!
- September 29, 2008 at 9:28 AM
- kat said...
We like to use Alton Brown's Remoulade recipe for our coleslaw dressing. It uses creme fresh instead of mayo.
- September 29, 2008 at 10:20 AM
- OhioMom said...
Coleslaw and BBQ and/or coleslaw and fried fish ... one does not get it without the other :)
Like the sauce! - September 29, 2008 at 10:57 AM
- vanillasugarblog said...
I put cole slaw on anything: hot dogs, burgers, bbq sandwiches, hummus, chili, etc...Ohhh I'm freaking starving now.
I love your pics here woman! - September 29, 2008 at 11:08 AM
- Maria said...
Love the slaw idea. What a nice addition!
- September 29, 2008 at 11:20 AM
- Anonymous said...
That chicken looks amazing! I think a vinegary slaw (no mayo) would be great here.
- September 29, 2008 at 11:23 AM
- Marjie said...
I love cole slaw, but never on anything! This food purist has to keep her foods separated. Cafeteria style plates are so tempting, since I won't use hubby's granny's depression glass with its fabulous sections!
- September 29, 2008 at 11:44 AM
- Deborah said...
I am very picky about my cole slaw - I've only had it a time or two where I actually liked it. But I'll take one of those sandwiches in a heart beat!
- September 29, 2008 at 12:11 PM
- Lucy..♥ said...
Mayo free is my preference, had one years ago that was to die for & have been searching for ever since :)
- September 29, 2008 at 12:15 PM
- Sandie said...
I have two favorite cole slaw recipes: my mom's (home style w/mayo) and one from my aunt (Asian influenced, no mayo). They are polar opposites on the flavor scale, but each wonderfully delicious!
- September 29, 2008 at 12:53 PM
- Tabby said...
That BBQ chicken looks yummy! I put poppy seed dressing on my coleslaw one time and I thought it was really good.
- September 29, 2008 at 1:51 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
I got a good potato salad, but no cole slaw...that barbeque chicken looks dandy...
- September 29, 2008 at 2:01 PM
- Pam said...
I love coleslaw on my bbq sandwiches. The sweetness and crunch just put the sandwich over the top. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
- September 29, 2008 at 2:10 PM
- Anonymous said...
yes, coleslaw would insanely enhance your bbq chicken sandwich yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. but at least it still looks good!
- September 29, 2008 at 2:19 PM
- Sharon said...
This bbq looks amazing. I need lunch. My favorite coleslaw would have to be (embarrassingly) KFC. I grew up on it as my mom is a KFC lover.
- September 29, 2008 at 2:55 PM
- Dee Light said...
That looks so yummy. One of my all time favorite foods with slaw is a hot dog. There is a hole in the wall burger place, not too far from me, that serves "slaw dogs". The slaw is not like any other I've tasted, but it is wonderful on their Hotdogs!!
- September 29, 2008 at 3:47 PM
- Anonymous said...
Minimal Mayo...WHAT!???? Oh lordy, I live for mayo and a super-wet slaw! But your sandwich...yum!
- September 29, 2008 at 4:08 PM
- La Bella Cooks said...
You should see if the deli will give you the recipe! This looks absolutely comforting. I may not be able to stop once I get a bite of this.
- September 29, 2008 at 6:50 PM
- Bunny said...
When I was pregnant with my daughter many moons ago I craved BBQ sauce, I love BBQed Chicken. At the restaurant we make our own coleslaw and it's very good, I like to put it on turkey sandwiches too!
- September 29, 2008 at 8:07 PM
- Paula said...
Love, love, love bbq sandwiches with cole slaw. I like all slaws, but tend to gravitate to the creamy varieties. Oh man, I'm so hungry right now and I fear that only bbq with slaw will do!
- September 29, 2008 at 8:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
I love coleslaw too but, like you, have yet to find a killer homemade slaw recipe. I hope someone shares a great recipe with you, you try it, then share it with the rest of the coleslaw-loving world. ;)
- September 29, 2008 at 10:30 PM
- Anonymous said...
I don't like the mayo taste of cole slaw either but this recipe is somehow different. Scale it back to make enough for a single portion and try for yourself.
Killer Cole Slaw Recipe - small batch (4 sandwich-sized portions)
1/2 cup mayo (not salad dressing)
1 T sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 (scant) tsp mustard
Mix until sugar is melted. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cole slaw veggies (cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, broccoli), stirring until proper consistency is met. Serve immediately - will become wet if left to sit. - September 29, 2008 at 10:50 PM
- Anonymous said...
Oh Grace, that chicken barbeque looks superb! I actually love cole slaw and am not at all picky about it. It is really good on a bbq sandwich- this is something I never tried until I moved to Virginia. :) Maybe you should ask your hometown grocery store if they'd share the recipe with you. I bet they would.
- September 30, 2008 at 9:10 AM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
Boy, you're a tough cookie. How come you haven't asked for their recipe? Or perhaps you have?
Unfortunately I can't help you. While I've made my own and used the store bought dressing I don't think they are up to your standards. I'm not picky about cole slaw and love them all, so long as there is NO ONION, yuck!
Good luck on your quest and let us know when you find a WINNER.
~ingrid - September 30, 2008 at 11:38 AM
- Jessica@Foodmayhem said...
Thanks for the cole slaw name history, very interesting.
- September 30, 2008 at 12:27 PM
- giz said...
Only for you dahlink...my very favourite slaw:
1 head cabbage
3 med carrots
2 cloves garlic
3 green onions
1 green pepper
1 c white vinegar
1/2 c sugar (I use a little less)
3/4 c canola oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
bring marinade to a boil - throw on veggies and mix - let sit for a while for flavours to marry - voila - lasts about a week in the fridge - September 30, 2008 at 12:32 PM
- Thistlemoon said...
Thanks for that info! So funny because my nephew who was born about 2 months ago is named Cole and whenever I hear Cole slaw, I always think of him now! LOL!
- September 30, 2008 at 3:09 PM
- alexandra's kitchen said...
i thought that was pulled pork at first glance. it looks so yummy. I have a good coleslaw recipe but not on me at the moment. It has a nice tang — the dressing is made with buttermilk, apple-cider vinegar, a little Tabasco, a little Worcestershire, and a bunch of other stuff. will send it along shortly.
- September 30, 2008 at 3:53 PM
- Leslie said...
I am not a big "cole" person..however my husband could live on it!
- September 30, 2008 at 9:06 PM
- Lori said...
Hey my big bro's bday was on the 29th, yesterday. Too funny. The big 50!
I think two of the magical elements of good slaw is one to first grate the slaw on a box grater because for some reason it tastes better.
The second thing I think (so you r slaw is not runny) is to salt the cabbage and place it in a collander for about thirty minutes. Rinse and squeeze the water out. It will still be crunchy but wont make a runny mess.
Okay and maybe one other thing. Cabbage found in the spring is uch sweeter and more tender. - September 30, 2008 at 9:44 PM
- Haley said...
i'm not so much a fan of the slaw, but i did slightly enjoy some once that was made with mustard instead of mayo. kinda tangy and nice.
- September 30, 2008 at 11:17 PM
- Anonymous said...
Grace this looks yummy as is, but yes, with some slaw, hello?
I actually like a German inspired cole slaw with (among other things) cider vinegar and celery seed. I'll send you the recipe if you like. It too am a proponent of "less mayo - is more." - October 1, 2008 at 12:15 AM
- Lore said...
Uhm I forgot all about the cole slaw and the reason is I love shredded cabbage so much on its own that I don't add any dressing to it.
- October 1, 2008 at 3:23 AM
- Gigi said...
...mmm coleslaw! I haven't had it years. Why? I have no idea. But thanks for reminding me that I too need to find a great coleslaw recipe. BTW that chicken sandwich look delicious.
- October 1, 2008 at 3:55 AM
- Homemade Heaven said...
I always have coleslaw with hot-beef-on rye! Always add lots of caraway seeds and black pepper. Nothing better!! I make mine with a mix of red and green cabbage and it turns the sauce pink - just because pink is my favourite colour!
- October 1, 2008 at 5:28 AM
- Anonymous said...
I had a bad experience with cole slaw as a kid (they used to serve it in the cafeteria in school, all watery and yucky) so it's one of the few "standard" foods I don't eat (along with Spanish Rice which they also served at that school...shudder).
- October 1, 2008 at 2:51 PM
- LyB said...
I can't help you with the slaw recipe, I've never made any myself. I did, however, make a kind of cabbage salad with apples and curry powder. It was pretty good. If only I could remember where I put the recipe... :)
- October 1, 2008 at 7:55 PM
- Sophie said...
This recipe is making me miss good ol' Texas bbq! Oh, btw, just passed an award along to you :).
- October 1, 2008 at 11:13 PM
- Jaime said...
i had never heard of cole slaw on bbq until i lived in NC :) now i love it! that looks delicious; sorry you did not have any slaw to go w/it
- October 1, 2008 at 11:20 PM
- Anonymous said...
wow my first thought was kimchi on toast! I'm with you and dont like sweet creamy coleslaw... and so I usually dont order it
- October 2, 2008 at 10:05 AM
- Natalie Que said...
I haven't quite reached the heights of sophistication you have, I still won't eat it. I swear it must be the last food that you won't eat as a kid that I still haven't given into and realized it IS good. I may never know...
- October 3, 2008 at 6:48 PM
- Simply...Gluten-free said...
Unfortunately I did know the names of those guys, what does that say about me?
- October 4, 2008 at 10:44 AM
- Susan @ SGCC said...
My fave is broccoli slaw. I make it with dried cranberries, raisins and pistachio nuts and good old Marzetti's slaw dressing.
- October 7, 2008 at 9:16 PM


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It's long winded, very academic, but by God it actually deals with the subject matter, including an indepth discussion of the DNA and genealogy work that was used to help to confirm the former English monarch's identity.
Pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, through Pen and Sword (30 April 2013), or purchase early at Who Do You Think You Are Live 2013 in London. For my other genealogy books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for my online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.


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So many people told me about the violence in Nigeria, about places I should not visit, and quite a few said do not go to Nigeria at all, visit another African nation for my first trip to the continent instead. I am very glad I ignored that. In fact whenever I am told not to do something, or feel "advice" is rooted in fear and some level of ignorance, I do the exact opposite of what is being suggested, always.
I have found Nigerians to be incredibly respectful and mannerly, very deferential and humble, and so appreciative of the basics of life. There are many vicious stereotypes about Africa in general and, yes, of course, there is widespread post-colonization political corruption, of course there is internal violence born of years of ethnic strife, and of course there is a huge disparity between the elite in politics and business and the poor, which accounts for the masses of people in nations like Nigeria.
Kevin Powell: From Africa With Love (#1)
Kevin Powell: From Africa With Love (#2)
Kevin Powell: From Africa With Love (#3)
Kevin Powell: From Africa With Love (#4)
Kevin Powell: From Africa With Love (#5)
But there is also an incredible spirit of resiliency and a unique ability to survive circumstances I do not know many folks where I come from could handle, or do. Who could, for example, live day-to-day where armed military or police have random check points any and everywhere? Who could, for example, adapt to not even having the very basics of life; a life where you are forced, as is the case in the Yola area, into making traditional huts from mud and hay (a dying art in Africa, I am told) as your home, knowing you will never have running water? Who could, for example, overcome the challenge of living in a nation with literally hundreds of languages and not be able to speak or understand a language as you travel from region to region? I especially thought about this in the context of America. Yes we are a large and very diverse nation twice the population of Nigeria, but we speak English, mostly, and Spanish is perhaps the only other major language spoken regularly from coast to coast.
To put this in context, yesterday we encountered crew ship full of Cameroon sailors. I wanted to get on their boat but I speak no French and no Hausa. So the Nigerian driver we had, who speaks English and Hausa, had to translate back and forth between us. It was a fascinating conversation, as the Cameroon sailors were there to load supplies for a the day-long trip back home. What was especially striking to me is that even though the two men both spoke Hausa, even then there was some difficulty in understanding each other. But we got the basics of what the journey was about, and why they trek to Yola a few times each month.
Nigeria, Africa, at the end of the day, is full of vast possibilities, for business people, for politically and socially-minded people, for humanitarians, for artists who could be inspired by its stunning natural beauty and the soul power of its people. But it bothers me, deeply, when people come with a patronizing attitude, as if they are going to save Africa, or when making money seems to be their primary agenda and they refuse to balance conversations about business with an honest assessment of countries like Nigeria, and the present-day realities right smack in front of our faces. It is not an 'either or' conversation. It is both. Which is why I love the students at American University in Nigeria so much. They are brutally honest, about everything, and want to see one Nigeria where all come together, but also one Nigeria where every single challenge in the nation is discussed, fearlessly.
Kevin Powell is an award-winning writer, public speaker, and political activist. Through the years Kevin has written for Ebony, Esquire, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Essence, Rolling Stone, The Huffington Post, and Vibe, where he served as a senior writer. He is also the author of 11 books, including his latest, "Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and the Ghost of Dr. King: Blogs and Essays." Follow him on Twitter @kevin_powell, or email him at [email protected]


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Social Meaning and the Cult of Tim
July 23, 2003
In a previous column, "The Social Meaning of RDF", I described a debate about the relation of formal and social meanings of RDF assertions, particularly as related to the Semantic Web. This debate about the "social meaning of RDF" is complex and encompasses a wide range of thorny issues.
Not only does the debate have many conceptual parts, but it also has many modalities. Last time I discussed it in this column I was focusing on an upcoming technical plenary session at the W3C, where the social meaning issues were on the agenda. The issue before that tech plenary was whether to strike or edit section 4 of the RDF Concepts and Abstract Syntax specification. This way of carrying on the social meaning debate was unlikely to lead to a satisfactory resolution, since it was possible to strike the problematic language without solving or addressing the substantive issues which animate the debate in the first place. Some of those issues include the following:
- how or whether the meaning of URIs (when used, for example, as RDF predicates) is defined and defined authoritatively;
- how one asserts, or refrains from asserting, RDF statements;
- how one specifies the meaning of an RDF graph, which presupposes some position on the relation of an RDF graph's formal meaning, social meaning, and social meaning of its "formal entailments";
- whether the social meaning of RDF assertions is a function of the intention of the speaker ("speaker meaning") or is a function of the meaning of the assertion itself ("sentence meaning");
- whether "publishing" RDF is sufficient to obligate someone (anyone?) to its formal or social meanings; if so, who does it obligate and what sort of obligation is it; and, further, what acts or ommissions constitute a party as the "publisher" or as the "asserter" of some RDF;
- what relation there is between RDF's meaning, whether social or formal, and legal contexts and considerations.
In other words, all the really easy stuff....
The participants of the plenary session reached a broad consensus, which consisted of four points, two of which are especially relevant here: first, that section 4 of the Concepts document would be struck; second, that the Semantic Web Coordination Group (SWCG) would "prioritize work on this issue, coordinated with the TAG over URI denotation". As has become clear, however, there seems to have been some ambiguity about the substance of this consensus, particularly related to the role of the SWCG, about which more below.
Apparently in response to the tech plenary and to SWCG discussions, Tim Berners-Lee recently proposed the social meaning cluster as a new TAG issue. Dan Connolly says that the SWCG kicked the issue up to the TAG because it "didn't see a way to specify how this works for RDF without specifying how it works for the rest of the Web at the same time".
There have been at least two different kinds of objections to Berners-Lee's request that the TAG take on the social meaning issue (though, to be fair, I'm not entirely sure what precisely Berners-Lee intended the TAG to consider, given that his message is confusing and seems to have been written haphazardly.) The first kind is procedural: that Berners-Lee's actions are not fully responsive to the tech plenary consensus. The second kind is substantive: that Berners-Lee's statement of the social meaning problem in his message to the TAG is simply wrong and misleading .
Substantive Questions
Pat Hayes -- who, it must be pointed out, is an important player not only in the Semantic Web effort but also in the recent history of knowledge representation and artificial intelligence research -- voiced the most sustained substantive criticism of Berners-Lee's presentation of the social meaning issue. In Hayes' estimation, Berners-Lee's presentation of the social meaning issue contained several falsehoods: "To make authoritative assertions of propositions which are clearly or provably false", Hayes claimed, "does not make them true; it only destroys public trust in the source making the silly assertions".
What are some of these falsehoods, according to Hayes? First, Berners-Lee says that "each URI identify [sic] one thing ("Resource": concept, etc)". But if, as Hayes points out, "identify" means reference or denotation, then "it is simply untenable to claim that all names identify one thing."
Berners-Lee also claims that his understanding of the Semantic Web architecture "allows information to be published so that the recipient of an RDF statement 'S P O' [i.e., a subject, predicate, object RDF triple] can, by dereferencing P, get information about the relation being asserted." Hayes's response is worth quoting in full:
Wrong. First, there is no particular semantic importance attached to the P part of the triple. Properties have no special status in RDF. Second, the relation is not being asserted: the triple is. Third, there is no particular reason why dereferencing P will get you to the information you might require in order to draw the appropriate conclusions; and indeed most RDF applications would not work if this were an architectural requirement. Finally, this conclusion does not follow from the architectural points made previously.
Hayes makes other substanitive criticisms of Berners-Lee's position, and I suggest that interested parties study his message (and the entire thread in which it occurs) carefully. Hayes finished his criticism of Berners-Lee by striking a note to which I will return below, one about the clash of professional competencies, expectations, and standards:
Maybe, if I could make the suggestion without seeming to commit lese-majesty, it would be a good strategy for the W3C, rather than trying to render nonsense "in terms that the ontology community will understand," to ask if it might possibly learn something from actually listening to the ontology community; or at any rate, to anyone with a grasp of basic 20th-century results in linguistic semantics.
In response to Hayes's overarching claim about substantive falsehoods, Berner's Lee said that he was "using English, not model theory. You [i.e., Hayes] use model theory words, but it may be that model theory can't express the English talking about for example the real world." In response to Hayes's claim that there is ambiguity (and falsity all possible readings of that ambiguity) in the claim that "each URI identify [sic] one thing", Berners-Lee said that "... I am describing, if you like, a perfect platonic design, to which we can aspire, though social and engineering factors limit our ability to implement it perfectly ... One deals with deviations from the perfect in a form of perturbation theory." And in response to Hayes's claim that the predicate element of an RDF triple is not semantically special, Berners-Lee retorts that "p is associated with the relation. I had understood that the semantics of s p o were the relation R(s,o) where R is identified by p. Did I get it the wrong way around?"
In general Berners-Lee's responses suggest, when they do not outright claim, that Hayes is simply unfamiliar with the merits of engineering fixes to the conceptual problems he identifies. Berners-Lee suggests this in a series of statements, which to my ear have an unhelpfully arrogant tone, in his response to Hayes:
We will always be a challenge for those of you who make these precise theories.
It is maybe from working with these [operators like multiplication and addition], and with the well-known and quite non-URI-like properties of natural language words, that you may have become blind to the advantages of an architecture where we say "This system is different from natural language: we design it such that each URI identifes (doenotes?) [sic] one and only one concrete thing in the real world or one and only one globally shared concept".
...we are not analyzing a world, we are building it. We are not experimental philosophers, we are philosophical engineers. We declare "this is the protocol". When people break the protocol, we lament, sue, and so on. But they tend to stick to it because we show that the system has very interesting and useful properties (emphasis added).
The architecture...defines an "authoritative" or "definitive" meaning, to which "meaning" in wittgensteinian sense and "intended menaing" in [an] ethical or legal sense generally approach as closely as they can, and close enough for the system to work and be unbelievably useful to millions of people.
We are building a new system. We can design it differently from existing linguistic systems. Toto, we are not in Kansas any more.
Hayes's response to Berners-Lee's response clarifies some of the disputed issues. As to Berners-Lee's equivocation that URIs "uniquely identifying one thing" is an ideal which can only be imperfectly approximated in actual systems, Hayes's response is very blunt:
I'm not saying that the "unique identification" condition is an unattainable ideal: I'm saying that it doesn't make sense, that it isn't true, and that it could not possibly be true. I'm saying that it is crazy.
Procedural Questions
In addition to these and other substantive issues, there are procedural problems floating around. I have concluded, after studying the relevant documents and speaking with participants, that the consensus reached at the tech plenary was underspecified. There are at least three procedural issues: first, does Berners-Lee's making a request to the TAG to consider the social meaning issue accurately reflect the tech plenary consensus (this is distinct from the substantive issue of whether the content of Berners-Lee's message is either adequate or fair to those who do not share his position); second, is the TAG really the appropriate setting in which to resolve this issue; third, is there something broken about the W3C's institutional or moral authority?
The Tech Plenary Consensus
Part of the tech plenary's consensus was to ask the Semantic Web Coordination Group to do something about the social meaning issue. It isn't clear what the SWCG was supposed to do, precisely. Some of the interested parties think that the SWCG was supposed to determine the priority of this issue, others that it was supposed to work on this issue itself, giving it a high priority. Yet others think that the SWCG was supposed to give a high priority to forming some kind of group to determine whether and what could be actually said about the issue that could get consensus.
Berners-Lee's request to the TAG is that "a draft finding be written which pulls this together [i.e., presumably, his view of what needs to be done about the social meaning issue], with elaborations pointing into the various specs. Members of the SWCG have volunteered and some members of the SWCG have been volunteered to read early versions." Note that he doesn't say who or what might author this draft finding. And, as we'll see, using Berners-Lee's disputed reading of these issues as the basis for a draft finding is problematic.
Is the TAG Appropriate?
I'm not sure the TAG is the right venue or context within which to decide this issue. There is, however, at least one reason for the TAG having some hand in the resolution, namely, that the SWCG claims that the problems of URIs and resources are not specific to RDF, but touch the existing Web. That sort of large architectural issue -- though it's not clear that this is an architectural issue as much as it is a problem of formal specification -- is certainly within the TAG's purview.
There are at least two reasons why the TAG may not be the ideal place to resolve the social meaning debate. First, most, if not all of the TAG members are software engineers of one kind or another. The debate about social meaning is in some ways a debate between at least two distinct kinds of computer professional: the software engineers (who make a legitimate claim to have built the Web in the first place) and the knowledge representation theorists (who make a legitimate claim to have built many knowledge representation systems of a kind analogous to the one which the Semantic Web is meant to become.) Not only do these groups have different methods, backgrounds, and modes of argument and discourse, but they also have divergent expectations and standards about formalisms, formal systems, and the like.
Giving the issue over to the TAG to resolve entirely seems like a bit of procedural game-rigging, whether intentional or not. Of course someone will object at this point that the TAG is open to input from people other than its members. That's true, but that fact may not be enough to ensure that the process of resolving this debate is substantially open and fair and, as importantly, is seen to be substantially open and fair.
Sandro Hawke makes something like this procedural point when he says,
There has been a process question here, which we might express as a continuum. At one end, the W3C could convene a series of Semantic Web Design Workshops to try to come up a viable design for the Semantic Web. At the other end, it could go with [Berners-Lee's] intuition that the Semantic Web is deeply coherent with the existing Web, and that URIs have always been logical constant symbols. What [Berners-Lee is] asking the TAG to do here, I think, is to use his sketch as the initial straw man. Some of the motivation here is surely the fear that the other end of the spectrum is a very, very slow road. More a bog, really.
In this regard, Hawke makes an able stand-in for the concerns of the software engineers, namely, that KR theorists can formalize the process to death. But surely at the other end of this continuum there is also a danger? The KR theorists are likely to respond that, given the deep flaws in Berners-Lee's "initial straw man" proposal, that the process of resolving the issue will be poisoned from the start. Or, put another way, since the Semantic Web is really meant to be a distributed, decentralized knowledge representation system, built a top the existing Web -- itself a distributed, decentralized hypermedia system -- it simply is the case that conceptual muddles, of the sort KR theorists like Pat Hayes claim Berners-Lee has fallen into, are serious and practical obstacles to realizing the Semantic Web.
There is an internally powerful bit of W3C institutional lore which is relevant here and surely serves as motivation, not only for Berners-Lee but for those who defend his "intuition." This is that hypertext and hypermedia theorists were so hung up on building perfect systems that they couldn't get something like "the Web" as we know it today built; the flip side of this legendary tale is that it took a practical, hard-minded software engineer like Berners-Lee to come along and build a practical, workable system like the Web. Hawke refers directly to this story as the "web's founding mythos," one which serves as a powerful internal motivation for W3C members and proponents.
The Cult of Tim
Weaving throughout this tangle of competing claims and understandings is the social fact of Berners-Lee's institutional and moral authority. For the record, I do not dispute that Berners-Lee deserves some measure of moral authority, owing to his role in bringing the Web to life. The question, however, is how far that moral authority should be allowed to extend and whether it implies any other special abilities or capacities.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the entire social meaning debate is the degree to which people uncritically defer to Berners-Lee's "intuition" and "vision", that is, to his admittedly incompletely expressed idea about the Semantic Web. Few people think that Berners-Lee's ideas about the Semantic Web are perfectly or completely formed. Everyone, including Berners-Lee himself, agrees that they are intuitions, which implies the idea that he can see further than he can say, that he can reach further than he can grasp, at least for now.
One obvious point to make is that there are a lot of people trying to help Berners-Lee realize his intuited vision and that he wields more influence and authority over this complex process than any other single person. Perhaps that is perfectly appropriate. However, the problem arises when other people, who have less moral authority, disagree with Berners-Lee. I have heard it said several times, although few people seem willing to commit to this view publicly, that Berners-Lee should be exempt from public criticism because the realizability of the Semantic Web rests upon Berners-Lee's reputation more than upon any other single factor.
Also in XML-Deviant |
That viewpoint not only cedes to legitimate moral authority far, far too much ground, but it also threatens the credibility of the entire Semantic Web effort. No one should be exempt from public criticism. Let me say that again, clearly: neither Tim Berners-Lee nor anyone else should be exempted from fair, balanced, charitable public criticism. Having created the Web does not in itself mean that Berners-Lee is right about every issue, as he would freely admit. Nor does it mean that people who disagree should "defer to the vision" of Berners-Lee. Too many W3C groupies, hangers-on, associates, employees, and peripheral figures act as if Berners-Lee's "vision" is infallible or incorrigible. I have heard W3C people react harshly to criticism of Berners-Lee on precisely these terms. "After all", they suggest, "he did invent the Web". Playing on that bit of institutional lore aforementioned, the idea seems to be that "Tim did it once, only Tim can do it again".
I'm not going to spend much time here suggesting why that idea is flawed. I will suggest, however, that the existing Web is an exceedingly complex entity and that its realization required the work of hundreds of very smart people. Nothing as complex as the Web is ever the result of one person's work alone. The Semantic Web will be, if it can be achieved at all, significantly more complex than the existing Web. It will no more be the result of one person's efforts than the Web is. We do ourselves, the Semantic Web effort, and Tim Berners-Lee a real disservice insofar as we contravene these basic facts.


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People get very riled up about foie gras, the fatty liver of ducks and geese.
Some are bothered by the force feedings the ducks and geese undergo to produce those fatty livers, which are 6 to 10 times the normal size. Others fear the fat itself – although foie gras enthusiasts insist that the delicacy is "surprising low in bad fats, and high in good fats."
But reliably raising birds with a liver that retains its fat once it hits the pan is a tricky business. Part of the challenge is knowing how long to stuff the birds with food — typically mashed corn.
Now science may be coming to the rescue. Writing in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Caroline Molette, an animal protein expert, and her colleagues at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research have found some of the key proteins that can tell you whether you've got a good liver on your hands.
One requirement, the scientists say, is that the liver retain its fat when cooked. It's that retained fat that gives the liver that buttery taste gourmands crave. More than 30 percent fat loss is forbidden.
The livers that showed signs that they were still growing when the birds were slaughtered produced more desirable proteins than those that were larger but had stopped growing. According to the paper, if you reduce the time you overfeed the ducks, you get livers that lose less fat during cooking.
The findings might mollify those riled up about the way the ducks and geese are force fed, but probably not much.
The French government, meanwhile, is bothered by people who fail to make foie gras properly. A government decree, originally issued in 1993, is very explicit about what constitutes and acceptable foie gras, and what doesn't. For example, it's OK to add truffles, water, salt, nitrite, ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate, but not more than 10 percent water, s'il vous plait.
China has been trying to get an edge on the foie gras market in recent years. A few years ago, NPR's Louisa Lim did a foie gras and truffles taste test with a pair of expatriate chefs in China to see if they could tell the difference.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Print this page | ||
Tumut Brungle Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) | ||
Date: | 21 June 1999 | |
Sub Category: | Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) (Native Title Act) | |
Place: | Around Tumut, west of the Australian Capital Terri | |
Click this link to search this location with google maps | ||
State/Country: | New South Wales, Australia | |
Click this link to search this location with google maps | ||
The ILUA covers an area of approximately 8500 square kilometres. The area spans from Coolac on the Hume Highway east to Lake Burrinjuck; south along the Brindabella and Fiery Ranges to near Yarrangobilly Caves; south west to the Murray River near Tintaldra; along the Murray River to Jingellic; and then north towards Gundagai, and then Coolac. The ILUA lies within the ATSIC regions of Binaal Billa and Queanbeyan, and the Shire Councils of Gundagai, Tumarumba, Tumut, Wagga Wagga, Yarrowlumla, Yass and Holbrook. | ||
Legal Status: | Registered with the National Native Title Tribunal | |
Legal Reference: | National Native Title Tribunal File No: NIA1998/00 | |
Subject Matter: | Compensation | Cultural Heritage | Employment and Training | Land Use | Mining and Minerals | Native Title | Recognition of Traditional Rights and Interests | |
Summary Information: | ||
The Tumut Brungle Indigenous Land Use Agreement (the ILUA) between Adelong Consolidated Gold Mines NL (ACG), the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council and representatives of the Walgalu and Wiradjuri people, allows ACG to conduct mining operations for a minimum of 20 years over an area of land in the south east of New South Wales. The Agreement contains the consent of the Walgalu and Wiradjuri people to the grant of mining tenements and estates (land) other than fee simple (freehold title) for the purposes of the mining operations. The mining operations include: '(a) exploration; (b) the mining of all minerals in any ore body; (c) related activities including the development, testing, recovery, processing and transport of such minerals; and (d) the rehabilitation of those areas disturbed by the operations referred to above'. The parties agree that the non-extinguishment principle applies - this means that under section 24EB (3) of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) any of the activities authorised under this agreement which may be inconsistent with native title rights and interests do not extinguish these interests, instead they are revived when the activities are finished. However there are also provisions to allow for the granting of an estate in fee simple where, either this does not extinguish native title rights, or the consent to extinguish native title rights is obtained. In return for their consent to the mining operations, the local Aboriginal groups receive shares in the company. The ILUA also contains provisions regarding employment opportunities, cultural heritage protection and environmental monitoring. This was the first agreement to be placed on the National Native Title Tribunal Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements. |
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Who's Behind The Movement To Ban Shariah Law?
In the past year, more than two dozen states have considered legislation that would prevent the use of Shariah, the Islamic code that guides Muslim beliefs and actions, in courtrooms. Several prominent Republicans, including Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann have all recently warned about the threat of Shariah law. In Tennessee, lawmakers recently debated whether to classify suspected Islamic terrorist groups as "Shariah organizations."
On today's Fresh Air, New York Times investigative reporter Andrea Elliott joins Terry Gross for a conversation about the state-level movement to ban Shariah law. Elliott recently profiled David Yerushalmi, the Brooklyn lawyer who started the anti-Shariah movement and who she says, "has come to exercise a striking influence over American public discourse about Shariah."
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"What was intriguing to me was how this man, who was really a fringe figure, came to cultivate allies and influence people at such high levels — former military and intelligence officials, leaders of national organizations, presidential candidates — how did he make that leap?" says Elliott. "And I think part of the answer is, in person he comes across not as the erratic character as some might suspect but as a sophisticated man who is convinced by his idea and has an endless appetite for defending those ideas."
One of the people Yerushalmi first connected with was Frank Gaffney, the president of the conservative think tank Center for Security Policy in Washington D.C. In 2010, Gaffney — who once suggested that President Obama might be a secret Muslim — wrote an op-ed suggesting that then-Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan should be investigated because of her support for Shariah law.
"Gaffney really became [Yerushalmi's] bridge to a whole network of think-tanks and government officials, including Jim Woolsey, a former director of the C.I.A," says Elliott. "I would say Gaffney catapulted Yerushalmi onto a new platform of influence and their aim seems to have been to get people in circles of influence to understand Shariah in this totally new frame, as a totalitarian threat akin to what the United States faced during the Cold War."
Enacting Legislation At The State Level
In 2008, Gaffney and Yerushalmi set up meetings with high-level officials at the Treasury Department. The two men argued that the Islamic financial industry lacked transparency. But the briefings went nowhere, says Elliott, and they began looking for other avenues — just as the Tea Party movement was taking off.
"Yerushalmi saw an opening there, in that people were calling for smaller government and greater state autonomy," says Elliott. "So he started to focus on state legislatures and began drafting the model legislation that would later sweep across the country."
By the summer of 2010, anti-Shariah laws were being introduced in several state legislatures. Louisiana, Arizona and Tennessee have all passed versions of a bill restricting judges from consulting Shariah or broader categories of religious, foreign or international laws. Voters in Oklahoma passed an amendment to the Constitution banning courts from considering Shariah.
"It's hard to say what the legal impact of these laws will be because the establishment clause of the Constitution prevents from the government from favoring or targeting one religion," says Elliott. "The Oklahoma amendment which singles out Shariah has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge pending the outcome of a lawsuit that argues that it infringes on religious freedom. But the three other laws that have passed are worded neutrally enough that they could withstand Constitutional scrutiny."
More On 'Shariah Law'
Interview Highlights
On what Shariah law is
"Shariah literally means the way to the watering hole and is more commonly referred to as 'the way.' It is, most simply put, the law that guides Islamic beliefs and actions. But when Westerners think of a legal code, they tend to think of a fixed set of laws and Shariah is a lot more fluid than that, in part because there's no governing authoring in Islam. So while Islam's four major schools of law agree on many basic areas of Shariah, there are many areas that lack consensus and there's really a whole spectrum around the world in ways Muslims observe Shariah law. One of the key points is missing in this debate is that Muslims living in non-Muslim countries like the United States, there is broad agreement that Shariah requires them to abide by the laws of the land in exchange for the right to worship freely."
On creating a debate about Shariah
"[Yerushalmi] really set out on what might seem like an impossible mission, which was to make this very arcane and complex subject of Shariah a focus of national scrutiny. This was a word that was not even part of our vernacular a few years ago. ... A lot of people would argue that what has come of this is not really a substantive debate about Shariah as much as a shouting match. It's a shouting match that involves really simple messages on both sides — 'Shariah is bad' or 'Shariah is a non-issue.' But the leaders of this campaign really talk about it in a most preemptive way than a prescriptive way. What they say they're doing is trying to prevent Shariah from having the kind of influence seen in Europe, particularly in England, where the Muslim community is far less integrated and where there are Shariah tribunals."


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In the last three days I received two invitation to join Facebook, one invitation to join Pownce and two inquiries about my Twitter address (see an analysis by USAToday). Mind you, I have a profile on LinkedIn, and an old one on Ryze -- remember that one? Does anyone use it anymore? And let's not forget Jaiku.
Why do we need so many tools for social interactions? Have we suddenly become incapable of interacting with our friends, neighbors and colleagues?
Have we become so isolated in our daily work life as agents of our destiny that we need to have surrogate environments to hang out?
More importantly -- What about the work it takes to update all these networks? I have a hard enough time updating my LinkedIn! Has anyone thought about integrating?
And now that we have social networks are blogs obsolete?
There's a passionate conversation going on at Deep Jive Interests, started somewhere at Scobleizer and continued at Gapingvoid. Tony Hung took it over to The Blog Herald. Hint, there is mention again of the A-list and social networks. Ich bin auf der Z-Liste! I always wanted to say that in German. Thank you, Tony.
Have you seen your blog traffic decrease? According to Scoble's friends, this is because they assume their readers are now off to social networks. How many friends do you really have? How many people can you really call friends? I mentioned I have an extensive network in a previous post, these are not all friends and most do not read my blog. I will post about how to grow and nurture such a group in the future.
I think Tony nails it when he says that the answer to mega gazillion friends that some already have on these social networks is popularity. The more popular you are, the more people want to rub shoulders with you. Maybe some of the magic dust will make you lucky, etc. Tony says:
"Social Networks don't change that [popularity]. And in many cases, I suspect, it's not a binary or mutually exclusive phenomenon either. Just *because* you introduce mediums that ask for your continuous partial attention, such as Twitter or Pownce, OR, walled-in gardens such as Facebook it doesn't mean that you necessarily take away from blogging — which is one of the greatest one-to-many publishing mediums available."
Is this the twilight of blogging? Asks Tony at The Blog Herald. Before you answer that, he maintains it isn't. He says:
"Because, with respect to blogging, all of these services and applications are essentially creating a niche for the same people for whom blogging is not a good fit. As easy as it is to blog, it is even *easier* to join a social network that is robust, and where all of your friends and contacts *already* belong. And I think these kinds of places are a *better* fit for people who are looking to write and publish things of a personal nature, things that are purely for their own benefit, or people who just want to "try" out writing and publishing their own thoughts.
This will allow blogging to mature into the medium it was always destined to be, allowing blogs that remain to be voices that continue to be exceptionally passionate and opinionated, if not immediate, funny, intelligent, thought-provoking, or entertaining — because they will be written for people who learned, or who are dedicated to learning about blogging.
In a sentence, the signal-to-noise ratio will start *rising*. There will be more blogs that will appear to be worth reading, watching, or listening to if, for no other reason, than all the other "try-me-out" blogs will start disappearing.
And this is a very good thing."
Let's review here the motivations that prompted so many of us to enter the self-publishing world:
- To have a voice -- to express opinions, share knowledge, learn something
- To increase our opportunities for business -- let's face it, even when we say we use this medium as a branding tool, we like to get some side benefits that are monetary, yes? Not to mention the very important reason to have a dialogue with customers.
- To expand our horizons -- stretching is good. This has been geek week for me, for example. We can take what we learn here back to our day jobs, clients, and partners and be more valuable in utilizing these tools appropriately.
Building relationships and creating community are outcomes of these motivations. Greg Verdino via Gavin Heaton pointed us to Common Craft who show the most basic features and benefits of social media and focus more on what people can actually do with these tools. I like that, action.
What do you think? Are there too many social networks? What have you found useful as in action-driven? Do you need to be there because that makes you cool or because you can actually do things with those tools that you cannot do with blogs?
[Thanks to Chris Baskind, Paperfrog and Greg Verdino, Greg Verdino's Marketing blog for the assistance with some of the stats for the chart. The aim was to provide a visual orientation to non geeks, not a carved-in-stone statistical piece. If you have better numbers, let me know. I'll be happy to update it.]
ASIDE you may find interesting. This is an email I got from Greg last night with some tidbits about usability. Since I see him as the new/emerging media guru in my circle of bloggers, here it is for your information, unedited (thanks, Greg!).
"Jaiku is pretty much exactly the same as Twitter -- the interface is a bit prettier but the functionality, ease of use is exactly the same. Not sure if it integrates with Facebook yet (Twitter does.)Facebook itself as a Twitter-like "status" function that provides updates to your Facebook friends but is only for your Facebook friends. It's easy enough to use but that's not really the main reason people are in Facebook. And on top of that, a lot of FB users now also embed their Twitter into their FB page, so the two presence apps (FB status and Twitter) are kinda redundant.
Pownce seems like it is just as easy to use -- and I think (again I'm not a user) allows for more control (you can update everyone, just one specific person - both of which you can do in Twitter and Jaiku - or only your friends - which Twitter and Jaiku don't allow) and it sounds like they also allow you to do things like transfer files over the service (with Twitter you can only embed links).One biggish issue that nobody is really talking about is that anyone who starts using more than one of these services (or multiple social networks, sharing sites, etc) finds herself with multiple circles of friends, constantly updating various profiles/status posts, etc - there isn't any way for a user to bring all of their stuff/friendships/updates together in a single interface -- which can be a real pain if you're in MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Jaiku, Pownce, Flickr, Photobucket, YouTube and del.icio.us. YIKES!"
For marketers -- reviews of Twitter and Pownce (thanks, Matt!)


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Susan Lynch to read at the Richard Hugo House
Susan Lynch (one of our Associate Editors) will be reading at the Richard Hugo House in Seattle, WA on Saturday, April 26th. She's reading as part of the Lit.mustest reading series.
The night's featured reader is Carol Casella. She is the author of three novels: Oxygen (Simon & Schuster, 2008), Healer (Simon & Schuster, 2010), and Gemini (Simon & Schuster, 2014).
Where: Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
When: 7:00pm to 10:00pm on Saturday, April 26th.
This is an all-ages event open to the public.
There will be a cash bar.
Admission is free.
Parking is available at Hugo House. Street parking is free around Cal Anderson Park after 6pm.


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When a child with autism copies the actions of an adult, he or she is likely to omit anything "silly" about what they've just seen. In contrast, typically developing children will go out of their way to repeat each and every element of the behavior even as they may realize that parts of it don't make any sense.
The findings, reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 8, are the first to show that the social nature of imitation is very important and challenging for children with autism, the researchers say. They also emphasize just how important it is for most children to be like other people.
"The data suggest that children with autism do things efficiently rather than socially, whereas typical children do things socially rather than efficiently," says Antonia Hamilton of the University of Nottingham. "We find that typical children copy everything an adult does, whereas autistic children only do the actions they really need to do."
The researchers made the discovery after testing 31 children with autism spectrum conditions and 30 typically developing children who were matched for verbal mental age. On each of five trials, each child was asked to watch carefully as a demonstrator showed how to retrieve a toy from a box or build a simple object. Importantly, each demonstration included two necessary actions (e.g. unclipping and removing the box lid) and one unnecessary action (e.g. tapping the top of the box twice). The box was then reset behind a screen and handed to the child, who was instructed to "get or make the toy as fast as you can." They were not specifically told to copy the behavior they'd just seen.
Almost all of the children successfully reached the goal of getting or making the toy, but typically developing children were much more likely to include the unnecessary step as they did so, a behavior known as overimitation. Those children copied 43 to 57 percent of the unnecessary actions, compared to 22 percent in the children with autism. That's despite the fact that the children correctly identified the tapping action as "silly," not "sensible."
Hamilton says the researchers now want to know precisely what kind of actions children copy, and how that tendency to copy everything might contribute to human cultural transmission of knowledge. She says that parents and teachers should be aware of the social value in going beyond the successful completion of such tasks.
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JUNEAU — News that Alaska has been chosen as a test site for the integration of drones into U.S. airspace is being welcomed by state political leaders.
U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, said the initiative will bring jobs, resources and a new mission to the University of Alaska system. It also will help lay the foundation for other new economic activity "and put our state on the world map when it comes to this exciting emerging technology," he said in a statement.
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who is chairman of the Aerospace States Association, said drones can help save lives and promote scientific research and resource development in Alaska. He said in a statement that maintaining individual privacy and safety "continue to be our priority, and we're working to ensure they are never compromised."
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday that the University of Alaska was among six test-site operators chosen to research the requirements necessary to safely integrate drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, into U.S. airspace.
The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will oversee the work, which includes test sites in Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon. Center founder and director Greg Walker said the Alaska test sites will include work in the Interior on how to integrate drones in and around airports and at Prudhoe Bay, on how to safely integrate the technology into an industrial environment. He said the center was working with Oregon and Hawaii on what officials there want to do with their sites.
Walker said his team in Alaska has been far ahead of most of the rest of the country in studying how drone technology can be used for civilian activities. It has been researching the viability of use of drones for things like oil spill response, wildlife surveys, highway construction and fisheries management, he said.
FAA's decision will open more opportunities to expand the research, he said.
The Alaska Legislature previously provided $5 million for drone research and development at the university. State Rep. Shelley Hughes, who co-chairs a legislative task force for unmanned aircraft systems, said the panel has been studying the state's responsibility regarding privacy concerns and would make recommendations to the Legislature to protect the public.
"Alaska continues to be a leader in aviation, and this is the next wave," she said in a statement. "It makes sense to use UAS for the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks."